Airports. Where people greet people for the first time, the last time, and for the next time. A portal from one end of the world to the rest of it. The crossroads for all things human. A place of laughter and tears, of reconnecting and letting go. Of leaving and coming home. The finish line, starting line, and stop over. A culmination of beginnings, endings, discovery, and rediscovery. An anthology of stories and lives, a commonplace for those who wander and wonder unbeknownst to us all.

“Good morning, passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight KE 517 to Los Angeles…”

“What do you mean the client wants to change paints?! The painters are half a day away from finishing the interior, and now you’re telling me he wants to change the blue he insisted on getting to a green some shaman suggested?!” The announcement was drowned out by Bora screaming into her phone at her secretary. “I can’t meet him now, I’m about to fly halfway across the world because my idiot friend decided she couldn’t attend her graduation alone!”

“Why is she dragging me into this?” Yoohyeon complained in disbelief to Yubin who sat quietly beside her, answering her own work emails. The latter only shrugged, unbothered at all.

“Tell Mr. Choi that he’s either going to pay double for the labor and material he’s going to waste or deal with the bad luck he’s going to get from his blue house for the next 5 years.” The contractor instructed with finality and dropped the call immediately. She stomped towards where her friends sat and threw herself down. “I ing hate that guy! He already changed his mind about the flooring twice and once about the hardware for the entire house, now he wants to change the paint. Unbelievable!”

“He is paying though.” The girl in the middle pointed out. “And he’s your client, you have to do what he wants.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t complain about it.” The glare Bora sent her way had Yoohyeon cowering back a little bit. Yubin, occupied by the work she was about to leave behind as well, excluded herself from the conversation.

It wasn’t like the trip was completely against their will. It was a big deal for Yoohyeon, and they wanted to be there for her – it was her second doctorate degree already, but it was always going to be a big deal. They were busy people though, both her and Bora worked in a very hands-on industry, it was hard to leave it behind, even for a while.

“Did you manage to get that tech company project?” Attention was switched over to her now, Bora laid across Yoohyeon’s lap while the other girl looked at her curiously, not really sure what project the former was talking about.

“Yeah, I’m actually contacting the architect and interior designer who will be working on the project, too.” She explained, not bothering to take her eyes off her phone.

“Oh, who are you working with?” Yoohyeon asked this time, tilting her head to the side like the big puppy she was.

“MH Designs.” Two pairs of ears perked up, one of them flushing bright red.

“O-oh.”

“Yoohyeon’s heart just skipped a beat.” Bora teased.

“Did not!”

“God, the crush you have on Minji is disgusting. It’s been 20 years, grow a pair!” Yubin couldn’t help but laugh at the scandalized look on her friend’s face. It was fun watching Bora tease Yoohyeon, especially about her lifelong crush.

“Hey! At least I’m not in an on again-off again relationship like you and Handong.” She tried to retaliate.

“A relationship, nonetheless.”

The younger could only pout her lips and whine at her friend’s teasing, she tried to seek comfort with Yubin but the engineer only pushed her away.

Their flight to New York was at 9:30 AM, it was about 10 minutes away from boarding when Bora complained about her stomach being in knots. She mused that her period wasn’t due until the week after but it was getting so bad that she couldn’t help but rush to the comfort room, dragging Yoohyeon with her.

Yubin was left alone with their things.

They were only going to be in New York for four days, so they didn’t really have much to worry about.

Checking the time, she decided it would be best to pack up any belongings that they had out. She didn’t want any of them to be rushing if the two did get back when boarding started.

The airport’s hustle and bustle continued as flights were getting called out and more departing passengers arrived, while she leisurely placed Bora’s iPad inside her bag.

Flight MH 326 was called as she was zipping up Yoohyeon’s copy of Arsene Lupin inside her bag.

It was then that she felt eyes on her.

A heavy feeling of being watched loomed over her. It wasn’t alarming or scary, just incessant, like it was begging her to look for its source.

Yubin looked up and scanned the rest of the terminal in front of her, but everyone was busy doing their own things, talking on their phones, running around chasing their children, shaking their heads at the rowdy children.

She found no eyes looking her way, but the feeling remained, as if touching her, calling her attention.

She twisted on her heels discreetly to check behind her, acting as though she was just going to sit back down. As though she wasn’t actively trying to identify whose gaze was cast on her. Yubin found none.

Until she sighed and decided it was all in her head, and she reached over to zip up her own bag, only to find two pairs of eyes looking curiously at her. 3 feet above the ground, four round and glimmering eyes stared at Yubin.

Startled, she looked back at the kids just as curiously. The girl, who stood on the left side in her yellow tutu and pursed lips like she was racking her mind for something, had her hands on her hips like she was about to reprimand the grown-up. Brows furrowed as she kept staring at Yubin.

The little boy, with his hands in his pockets and his head titled to the side, looked at her with squinted eyes as if he was looking for something on her face.

“She looks like her, doesn’t she?” The little